1.2.11-Aresnergal
Brick!Club 1.2.11. CE QU’IL FAIT In which Hugo probably didn’t need too long to find his chapter title. Also get used to me just giggling there with some of Victor Hugo’s habit of comparing his characters to animals, like, now Valjean is a kitty, then he’s a tiger, well okay man. (Also it’s funny how Tigers are mostly used when classic authors need something ferocious and wild because I love tigers and I have a poster in my room with two cuddling together so I actually think “cute” when someone says “tiger” so yeah sorry Hugo) It’s always funny how spot-on the descriptions of sensations can be. Like, yeah, we all know, when you’re trying to be silent and sneaky, every single sound you make just seems horribly loud. That hinge is probably not screaming THAT much, but he’s so worried he already thinks he’ll be arrested immediately even though he didn’t do anything yet. But yeah Hugo’s doing a pretty good job at making us experience what Valjean’s going through even if he still doesn’t seem hateful to me at all, just,… Maybe bitter and confused at life. Though the fact that he even considers killing the bishop makes me cringe a little, though it’s okay because he doesn’t. I also love when Hugo is like “yeah look sometimes nature does these things that make you rethink what you’re doing and…” with the holy moonlightray of ultimate Holiness. DUDE, we know you’re the author and that every single contrived coincidence of events (there’s a ton of those) are your doing. You don’t need excuses ! But yeah I guess the main point of the chapter is Valjean seeing the total peace of mind of the bishop just sleeping there while He, Valjean, is terrified of basically every single thing surrounding him, and well yeah, that man was the only man ever in 20 years who’s been kind to him and I can’t believe a second he’d be morally able to slaughter him in his sleep like that. Stealing from him is way easier considering that yeah, though he does believe the bishop is poor, he’s still not to the point of Valjean. (that doesn’t mean you should steal at a buddy’s house, kids !) And isn’t that wonderful, he doesn’t need his sharp nasty object, because the Bishop doesn’t lock his drawers and closets either ! How convenient ! And thus Valjean goes away (without the promised glass of milk but with the silverwares) and he flees and he just did succeed at a crime for the time of is life ! OR DID HE ? (what do you mean you already know the answer ?) Commentary Pilferingapples Should have just taken the milk, Valjean! OR SHOULD HE HAVE WAS THIS THE HAND OF PROVIDENCE GUIDING HIM TO STEAL TO LEAD HIM TO ULTIMATE SALVATION honestly I have no idea? Also- does anyone know Why Tigers? I happen to have a Thing about tigers myself (migraine aura hallucination, specifically, but anyway)but that seems an unlikely beast for a French native author to pick on as his symbol of Danger Coming. Caramarthenfan (reply to Pilferingapples) I don’t know, but later on there’s Javert’s inner “legal tiger” tempting him to leap upon and devour Valjean (“that is to say, arrest him”), and Valjean gets compared to a lion at least once. There are actually a slightly ridiculous number of animal comparisons just for Valjean and and Javert alone (although most often Javert is a dog and Valjean—and other criminals—are wolves)…I haven’t been keeping as close track for other characters yet. Aresnergal (reply to Pilferingapples) IT’S VICTOR HUGO WRITING, OF COURSE IT’S THE HAND OF PROVIDENCE The same that makes him find exactly the right wall to climb to escape Javert later on and find exactly the right convent with exactly the right gardener on the exact day when a sister convenientely dies ! Also I think Europeans were probably more impressed by tigers than wolves or bears because they’re enormous carnivorous silent and agile animals that can kill a man like it’s nothing without having a pack to help ? And there aren’t any in Europe so I guess the “exotic” part plays a huge part, like, you know how to defend against wolves and bears but WOW somewhere in the orient there’s those huge kitties ! They’re like lions but solitary and without a mane and the majesty symbolism so let’s say they’re super dangerous absolute killers creatures ! Though that’s just me speculating, but apparently they’ve had this reputation since at least the Romans, so I’m guessing we inherited the idea afterwards… A little like Tyrannosaurus Rex are like, the absolute EVIL dinosaur everyone knows about. I read Tigers are among the most loved animals nowadays, though. Which I totally understand because gosh those are just magnificent animals. 10/10 prettiest animal ever. Too bad they’re near extinct. Also your tags are hilarious xD Kalevala-sage (reply to Pilferingapples) Upon reading the end today’s chapter and completely independently of any Tumblr perusal, my mind jumped to William Blake’s “The Tyger”—it’s part of his Songs of Innocence and Experience and one of the most well-known/referenced poems of the English language. That piece specifically falls into the “experienced” category, in opposition to its innocent lamb counterpart, and is as heavily metaphorical as Hugo’s implication that Valjean is a tiger. Anyway, here’s the first stanza: Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Hence it not being completely implausible that Hugo might make that allusion in reference to a man like Valjean, godforsaken as he is at that stage. Though I may be utterly wrong—I only hazard this association because Blake was pretty much a forerunner of the Romantics. Meanwhile, I wouldn’t call tigers “unlikely beasts for French native authors”—consider the effects of African colonialism and the ensuing exoticism of that world (all the better to sever any potential for realism and frame the comparison in metaphor), or the jungles Henri Rousseau would so take to in a handful more decades despite his never actually leaving France. Drinkwithgrantaire (reply to Pilferingapples) #took the silver, #but he didn’t took his flight he turned into a tiger instead, best. tags. ever.